# Little facts people get wrong **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 15, 2016, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575 "2016-10-15T02:48:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/21 "2016-10-15T15:17:56Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Turtle when it’s a tortoise and vice versa. Different animals and only a turtle can survive underwater for long. > [@Ruken](#): > > This is not a generally accepted scientific distinction, and certainly not taxonomic. So it comes down to actual use. Turtle is the general term in American English (and also by at least some American herpetologists). Tortoise is used in Australia for native freshwater turtles. Neither is wrong. Yeah, I knew, or thought I did, that tortoises were a subset of turtles, which are in turn one of the main orders of reptiles. Consulting [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle), it turns out that this may be one of those things that’s different in American vs. British English. > [@](#): > > Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines (or Chelonii) characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs and acting as a shield. “Turtle” may refer to the order as a whole (American English) or to fresh-water and sea-dwelling testudines (British English). ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/22 "2016-10-15T15:29:35Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > A Clownfish is not funny. I find them funny. What are you going to do about it? Also, is this the place for me to rant about the misuse of “Begging the question” some more? That is seriously going to result in homicide, or at least a foot through my TV someday. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/23 "2016-10-15T15:57:10Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I find them funny. What are you going to do about it? Knock yourself out. Point is, Seagull, is a perfectly OK common name. In everyday terms, it’s not even wrong. I live less than 10 miles from the coast. If I drive to the beach, I am guaranteed to encounter gulls. Back here at home, I will only generally see them rarely - i.e. if it’s stormy and they have come inland a bit for shelter. So I (like most people, presumably including the people who coined the word) most commonly see gulls when I also see the sea. Seaweed, seashells, sea beet, sea poppies, sea kale, seagulls. There isn’t a factual error here. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/24 "2016-10-15T16:23:29Z")
Arabia is a peninsula in southwest Asia. Arabian is an adjective that associates a noun with that geographical region. Arab is a person who self-identifies with the historical culture of Arabia, but is not necessarily of Arabian ancestry. Pronounced with unstressed second syllable. Arabic is an adjective to describe a language spoken in that region and elsewhere, and for the alphabet used in many unrelated languages. When standing alone as a noun, it refers to the language. Islam is a religion. Islamic is an adjective that associates a noun with that religion. Islamism is an overt emphasis on the values or influence of Islam Muslim/Moslem, a noun, is a person of the Islamic religion. Mohammedan, a term found in earlier texts for both the religion and its adherents, as both noun and adjective… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/25 "2016-10-15T16:42:59Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Saying ‘squash’ when ‘quash’ is meant. > > My wife, who is one of the most well-read people I know, and who has an MBA, steadfastly says ‘wreck’ instead of ‘wreak’, even though she knows the correct spelling and usage. I’ve tried to quash it. I’m trying to think of an instance where you could replace “quash” with “squash” and substantially change the meaning, and I can’t come up with any. The converse, obviously, is much easier. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/26 "2016-10-15T16:43:36Z")
Scuba divers very rarely use OXYGEN TANKS. Air, yes. Other gas blends, yes. But not pure oxygen. Pure oxygen may prompt a seizure or oxygen toxicity at depths greater than about 20 feet/6 meters. Pure oxygen is only used by scuba divers in specialized situations - as a component of a rebreather system or for very shallow water decompression stops - very rare circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/27 "2016-10-15T16:56:05Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Arabia is a peninsula in southwest Asia. > > Arabian is an adjective that associates a noun with that geographical region. > > Arab is a person who self-identifies with the historical culture of Arabia, but is not necessarily of Arabian ancestry. Pronounced with unstressed second syllable. > > Arabic is an adjective to describe a language spoken in that region and elsewhere, and for the alphabet used in many unrelated languages. When standing alone as a noun, it refers to the language. > > Islam is a religion. Islamic is an adjective that associates a noun with that religion. > > Islamism is an overt emphasis on the values or influence of Islam > > Muslim/Moslem, a noun, is a person of the Islamic religion. > > Mohammedan, a term found in earlier texts for both the religion and its adherents, as both noun and adjective… The best differentiation I’ve read was by a former Muslim extremist who said “Islam is a religion, Islamism is a political movement”. ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/28 "2016-10-15T17:11:01Z")
Stepped foot instead of set foot Tact instead of tack Phased instead of fazed Worse instead of worst The undocumented immigration of the UK “years on” instead of the American “years later” “So” at the beginning of every goddamn spoken first paragraph now ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/29 "2016-10-15T17:25:42Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Also, is this the place for me to rant about the misuse of “Begging the question” some more? That is seriously going to result in homicide, or at least a foot through my TV someday. I’ve given up ranting about this. If it meant anything at all other than “raising the question,” I could understand, but it doesn’t. The phrase has been misappropriated from philosophy for absolutely no reason. > [@Mangetout](#): > > Knock yourself out. Point is, Seagull, is a perfectly OK common name. In everyday terms, it’s not even wrong. I live less than 10 miles from the coast. If I drive to the beach, I am guaranteed to encounter gulls. Back here at home, I will only generally see them rarely - i.e. if it’s stormy and they have come inland a bit for shelter. > > So I (like most people, presumably including the people who coined the word) most commonly see gulls when I also see the sea. Seaweed, seashells, sea beet, sea poppies, sea kale, seagulls. There isn’t a factual error here. I agree. I used to live right on the beach, and was subjected to those filthy creatures and their incessant screeching 24/7. They weren’t just gulls; they were fucking seagulls. And while we’re at it, “coining a phrase” doesn’t just mean USING a phrase, it means inventing a new one. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/30 "2016-10-15T19:26:55Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I agree. I used to live right on the beach, and was subjected to those filthy creatures and their incessant screeching 24/7. They weren’t just gulls; they were fucking seagulls. Never having lived actually right on the coast, I always find their cries atmospheric when I hear them echoing over the cobbles of a quaint seaside town, but yeah, I imagine that wears off pretty damn fast. Another name for them around these parts is ‘shite hawks’ ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/31 "2016-10-15T19:53:25Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Never having lived actually right on the coast, I always find their cries atmospheric when I hear them echoing over the cobbles of a quaint seaside town, but yeah, I imagine that wears off pretty damn fast. Only early in the morning. They can be loud just after sunrise. (actually all day, but you notice it a lot more while trying to sleep in) My contribution" writing “advice” when they mean “advise.” ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/32 "2016-10-15T20:14:11Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > writing “advice” when they mean “advise.” How about “loose” when you mean “lose”? ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/33 "2016-10-15T20:32:47Z")
" ‘Seagulls’ versus "Gulls’ ": a late aunt-by-marriage of mine was basically an excellent and very kindly person; but tended toward being rather abrasive – and toward pedantry. She was an impassioned birder, and liable to be very particular about the correct naming and describing of birds. This one was a particular hot button for her: “Don’t call them ‘seagulls’, dammit – they’re GULLS !” My sentiments – even about subjects re which I’m passionate – incline more to “in the grand scheme of things, does it matter all that much?” ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/34 "2016-10-15T20:55:35Z")
> [@ThisIsTheEnd](#): > > . . . “So” at the beginning of every goddamn spoken first paragraph now It’s irritating, but it does serve a real and useful purpose: it’s “staking a claim” and announcing, “I’m about to start talking, so don’t interrupt.” It’s akin to “Well…” I think it comes from the more rapid pace of conversation these days, possibly driven by the (average) shorter attention span acquired from watching TV. (Just try telling a long, rambling anecdote these days. People listen to the first two sentences, then interrupt and start telling their own life stories!) (Remember the joke in “Demolition Man” about mini-songs, which were just advertising jingles? Not funny, guys!) ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/35 "2016-10-15T20:56:44Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Saying DEFCON-5 when they mean DEFCON-1. Oh thank god, this drives me nuts and I thought I was the only one. I mean how difficult is it to get right? On a sidenote I find it kind of amusing that until recently the equivalent UK system was known as the ‘Bikini State’. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/36 "2016-10-15T21:03:13Z")
While we’re talking about “accuracy”: “Accuracy” and “precision” are two different things, and neither is quite the same as “correctness”. If you’re measuring the length of a piece of string using a meterstick that only has markings every ten centimeters, then that’s imprecise. If you’re measuring it using a meterstick that has the end cut off it, then that’s inaccurate. If you’re measuring it using a thermometer, that’s incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/37 "2016-10-15T21:12:32Z")
here, here! FFS. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/38 "2016-10-15T23:19:55Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Arabia is a peninsula in southwest Asia. > > Arabian is an adjective that associates a noun with that geographical region. > > Arab is a person who self-identifies with the historical culture of Arabia, but is not necessarily of Arabian ancestry. Pronounced with unstressed second syllable. > > Arabic is an adjective to describe a language spoken in that region and elsewhere, and for the alphabet used in many unrelated languages. When standing alone as a noun, it refers to the language. \ Ray Stevens notwithstanding,\*\* Ā\*\*-rab is a town in Alabama. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/39 "2016-10-15T23:40:14Z")
Ensure vs. insure. I see “insure” used frequently in printed material and news reports to say “to make sure that X will happen”–professional writers should know better. But a quick Google search shows that some word authorities deem the terms interchangeable. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575/40 "2016-10-16T00:25:02Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > But a quick Google search shows that some word authorities deem the terms interchangeable. Ugh. That’s because your “rule” is a modern fiction; professional writers know better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-facts-people-get-wrong/768575.md?page=3)